The states’ investigation, which involves more than 50 attorneys general, is slightly behind the Justice Department’s probe, but the group is on track to decide on a suit by this fall, the people said.
The people knowledgeable about the probes spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report Friday that the lawsuits are likely.
Both groups are focused on Google’s dominance in the advertising technology market, though they are also looking into the tech giant’s power over search rankings and its Android mobile phone operating system. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking the lead on the ad tech market, while Iowa’s attorney general is looking into some of the other aspects.
In public comments Thursday, Paxton accused Google of delaying the investigation by filing “ludicrous filings just to slow us down. A dispute over experts hired by the states led to a several month delay in the search giant’s production of documents and even now, the company is still moving slowly in turning over evidence.
“We continue to engage with the ongoing investigations led by the Department of Justice and Attorney General Paxton, and we don’t have any updates or comments on speculation,” said Google spokesperson Julie Tarallo McAlister. “Our focus is firmly on providing services that help consumers, support thousands of businesses, and enable increased choice and competition.”
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.
Source: politico.com
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